Gun mount



June 8 1926. 1,588,262

C. L. PAULUS ET AL GUN MOUNT Filed March 15. 1924 E? H Mli- Patented .lune 8, 1926.

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` Param FICE.

l CHARLES L. PAULLUS AND ROBERT KAUGH, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

GUN MOUNT. l

Application led March 15, 1924. Serial No. 699,855.

" This jinvention relates to flexible gun With large calibre` guns. `The conformainounts for use particularly on aircraft.

. VGenerally, the invention has reference to asimple and compact rotarysupport of an economical and practical form which can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled. .y More specifically, the invention provides a flexible gun mount for airplanes capable ofA supporting large calibre guns to be trained inf` all directions, and comprises rings made offor'med sheet metalinstead of cast aluminum alloy or the like to make for cheapness, `strength and long service, and wherein bearings are used which in the operation of assembling or disassembling the mount,.remain assembled as units on one of therings tO-facilitate matters.` In former types of gun mounts, Wherethe rings Were cast, considerable difficulty arose through slightQWarpage, sudden shocks, or uneven strains, causing breakage, and furthermore, due to the construction, there was considerable difficulty in assembling and disassembling the mount because all of the bearings had to be assembled at the same time, vvere in no connected or easily assembled relation and `certain parts thereof Were concealed and it Was diflicult to locate and assemble the same. f

`In `the drawing, illustrating our `invention:` y Fig. 1 is a plan View of a complete ring assembly for a flexible gun mount.

` Fig.. 2 is an enlarged 'sectional detail taken through one of the` bearings.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 indicating the manner of assembling and disassembling the gun mount.

f `The gun mount is located on the airplane fuselage `over the gunners cockpit from which position the gunner trains the piece in all directions. The gun is rigidly secured `to the movable or training ring` of the mount and may be `moved mechanically to be trained in diiferentdirections', provision usually `being made for fixing the movable ring t() maintain a given setting of the gun when this is necessary or desirable.

In the drawing, the ring 10 is fixed and the ring-1l `is movable. The fixedringis secured to the fuselage suitably by bolts 12 or in" any other desired manner. The rings l() and l1 areboth of formed sheet metal and channel-shaped to give maximum strength and enable the use of the mount tion of theV rings as Will presently be pointed out, 1s made to withstand vthe loading in any position of` thel gun, and to assume the shock of rec-oil likewise in any position of the piece. y

The fixed ring has the outer edge of the plain portion thereof turned up forming an obtuse angle Withthe plainportion to provide an annular flange 13, the inside of which provides a race-Way for the roller bearings 14 mounted upon the ring 11.-` The outer edge of the flange 13 is bent inwardly approximately at rightangles to form an annular lip y15, the inside of which provides a shoulder-t0 assume the lateral thrust of the bearingslland to provide a means for holding the Vrings together in assembled relation when the bearings are drawn up in @engagement therewith. To further strengthen the ring 10, the inner edge may be turned up slightly as shown at 16 in the form of `an annular flange completing the channel-shaped cross` section of the ring.

The ring 11 has a down-turned inner annular flange 17 and outer annular flange 13 providing in effect an inner andouter apron about the fixed ring 10 `concealing the same and protecting the race-Way and thevbearings operating thereon against damage and accumulation of dirt. The flanges give a channel shape to the cross section ofthe ring 11, which makes for maximum strength. The flange 18 is in effect merely a lip turned in from the` edge of the annular flange 19 bent at an obtuse angle With the plain por.- tion of the ring 11 onthe outer edge thereof. The flange 19 is perforated at regularly spaced intervals as at 20 and counterbored as indicated at 21 to receive the conical ends of the nuts 22 threading on studs 23 eX- tending through the openings 20. The studs 23 are shouldered at 24 at the inner extremity of` the threaded portion and extend through the inner races of the bearings 14 and Washers 25 on either 'side of the bearings 14 and have their inner ends upset-as shown at 26 to rivet the bearings .as units on the studs. In this Way, the bearings are movable bodily, inwardly and outwardly when the nuts 22 are backed on the studs as shown in Fig. 3, or turned up tight, as shown in Fig. 2. The bearings 14 clear the edge of the lip 15 When the nuts 22 are backed olf the studs 23, as shown in Fig. 3. When all of the nuts 22 are loosenedinv this manner,

- aretnrned horneallaroiind the' ring so that vthe bearings 14j :arein position on the rasewwf, lea-@fname thea-11p 15,1111@ ring, 11: isf

Vmen thef'gnnfin any dire'etion andi'n anyA position/,off the-pieeefiits Weight and the' lo ad sp are "roon'i being necessary inside'thef rings f planes diie-"to, the angularinclination of the orthe backing ofthefbearings away-'frein fIn a rotaryfsnppor'tforguns andthe;

' able ringl the race- Way When'''d isaSfseinblingl the'inQY- i` `Claim f` likeya pair'ofring'syand bearing means'eolnatively enclosed ftyeaia vii11 ;-sf ande per-1 jmanently Carried infangnlar relation `-by one VL of saidringsf i likeg'a pair of ringjsfand bearing 'means Colleet'ively enclosed by "said ringsf andi perfmanently earriedby oneoflsaid ringsQ-and reniovable with 'sai'dfrring from* Avthe fothe" rin'gfvvhen adjusted-to a certainfposition" je assenibledf- 'c leseribedyy a fixed-ring having ay grace-'Way thereon and 1an'adj 'acent shoulder,v ainovable 1 ring having depen-ding langeson' the" inner and o uter edgesl thereofito fit overfSCl fixed ring; and bearing means adjustably an'dfperf" 'd lnia'nently mounted inoneof saidf depending f 1 'anges arrangedfinf onev state ofadjnstnient to ride on said-iaoeivayalong ,sa-idf; shoulder and'fhold said 'rings together. 1 rand *het* 50 f i f-, In; a"fleXible-` lnonntfforguns like; v a' pair or' if-ings,` and bearing vrnelansad- 1;iiistablefonfone'of 'saidrin'gs arranged in nefpositifon to hold said." rings ltogether"` and f Q prov-ide afiotaryV bearing between the rin andarranged in"A another lposition 'to be ont:` of'- holding relation to the rings and and ad tightly assernbled Vthereon* 4toghe riding on 'f QI'I'ifaf exibl'ef `inount Vof he feharaeter 1 dea? scribed, a pairof'rings,oneringfhavingfan` 1.. annularlip'fthereongrbearingmeans'on `the L n Votherri'ngladjnstableinand o utat an angle like, a pai1"of`rings,iand bearingineansarlf riedby and "removable as'jannitwith one-feit, said rings'-eonstitutingithenieans Jiter hold!v ing'- said ringsf together When-:the'sane are!` "'lOIn a flexiblefni'ount o'fffthe"'eharaeterA deseribed,` a pair ofV rings, oneringihavingf a'finwardlyl.turnedffannlar lip, bearing-V inefans monntedonythe'other'ring, adjlista bl"e V inandzjoiitat-"ancanglevvithzreference ftoj theirstringjtg moveoutwardly Sinto hold-v with reference,ltosaidrst ringto move into operative *.position".

ingoperatngfposition behind"`*`said.r'lip andV *inwardly avvay' rfrornsaid zli'p. tojgdis'asseme'- v.bling relationfthereto A j, '11."11'1 ai flexible no'untof .the Y character described-11a pairl'orings, onel ring having an "annularj liplgthereorn` studsadjustable.in` i openings intheffotherljringjat` an'- anglefwith" saidfirstringgfand "bearing'meansion the4 f free endof- 'said s' tuds'Inov'alxle'therewith iii-5L y tojor out of operative position' with reference 1 tothe lip on the first'mentionedring.4

Vde seribed,-a pair of rrings,v one o'flrsaidjrings" the cha-ratten .if l f I thelip on saidi first-mentionedring.

13. In a flexible mount of the character described, a pair of rings, one of said rings having an annular fiange bent at an angle withthe ring, providinga bearing raceway,

and an annular lip on said flange providing a shoulder, the second ring having an annular iiange, a plurality of studs having threaded ends projecting through openings in said iiange, nuts on said studs permitting the adjustment of said studs with reference to said first ring, and bearing means on the end of said studs to operate on said raceway on said first ring behind the lip on the edge thereof arranged in one state of adjustment of said studs to be capable of novement inwardly to clear the edge of said 14. In a fiexible mount of the character described, a pair of rings, one ring having an angularly extending annular lip, bearing means mounted on the other ring adjustable angularly with reference to the first ring to move in one direction into holding operative position behind said lip in the reverse direction away from said lip to disassembling relation thereto.

15. In a flexible mount of the character described, a pair of rings, one of said rings having an angular shoulder on said flange defining the edge of said raceway, the second ring having an angularly extending annular flange, studs projecting through openings in said iiange and having their free ends threaded, bearing means on said studs adjustable therewith in relation to said raceway, the openings in said flange being countersunk, and conefaced nuts threading on saidastuds and bearing in said countersunk openings.

16. In a rotary support of the character described, the combination of ar lower fixed ring, `an upper movable ring to be detachably mounted on the lower ring, bearings carried on studs on said upper ring capable of being .tightened or loosened on the outside of said upper ring arranged when made tight to hold said bearings in an operative position, serving as antifriction means between said rings and to hold said rings together in assembled `relation but when loosened permitting the removal of the upper ring from the lower ring with the bearings depending therefrom.

17. In a flexible mount for guns, a ring i having an annular lip bent inwardly at an angle relative to said ring, a second ring facing the first ring, and having an annular flange bent at an angle thereto approximately parallel to said lip, and bearing means adjustably mounted on said iiange to be arranged in a position behind said lip on said first ring. j

18'. In a flexible horizontal ring mount for guns and the like. the combination of a paiil of channel shaped formed sheet metal rings having the flanges thereof facing, bearing means housed within the two rings when in operative relation and concealed by the anges of said rings, and means for supporti ing said bearings in relation to the flanges of one of said rings on inclined axes for holding said rings together in assembled relation. i

19. In a flexible mount for guns, a fixed lower ring, a movable upper ring and bearings angularly arranged between said rings mounted adjustably on said upper ring for holding said rings together when in operative position or for permitting the removal with said upper ring from operative position between said rings.

20. In a flexible mount for guns, the combination of a lower fixed ring, an upper rotatable ring and antifriction bearings means between said means arranged at an angle of approximately 45 to both of said rings.

21. In a flexible mount for guns, a ring having an angularly extending annular raceway and a limiting annular shoulder on the outer edge of said raceway, a second ring having bearing supports substantially at right angles to said raceway and bearings thereon to operate on said raceway.

22. In a flexible mount for guns, a ring having an angularly extending annular raceway and a limiting annular shoulder on the outer edge of said raoeway, a second ring having bearing supports substantially at right angles to said raceway and bearings thereon to operate on said raceway, said bearings being adjustable relative to said supports in relation to said limiting shoulder whereby in one position to serve to hold said rings together when in operative relation to said race-way and when in another position serving to permit the removal of the ring supporting the bearings from the other ring.

23. In a flexible mount for guns, a fixed lower ring having a raceway extending at an angle approximately 45 to the horizontal, an upper movable ring having bearing supports arranged approximately at right angles to said raceway, and a plurality of bearings operating on said raceway at right angles thereto and having studs mounted in said bearing supports.

24. In a iiexible mount for guns, a fixed lower ring having a raceway extending at an angle approximately 45 to the horizontal, an upper movable ring having bearing supports arranged approximately er right angles to said raceway, and a pluralet right angles ltheretqj andhav-ingfstnds, mounted in said bea'rlngffsnpportsfanclmens" for f holding sd bearings :aga-inst movement [vertically or laterally olf said raeeWay-{to `tion.. ,A n l{,i; In a1 flexiblev-j1ingniount'for'aircraft Aguns and the like,v the'combination of a'fpar of Glia-nnel Sha-pecl lsheet'.'metal ,lingswaif rangelr With their zingesf facing, t-lie'lower rollershavingfwasliersithereenenClOSingt-he space between the innen; andr outerirees 1t@ r; encase ka-l1siiqJp1y offlnblficknt inf each of the titres. i

'a plurali-ty (ifr anti'frifien balli I rollers ymounted on'jalieupper'mvablering"` individual bearings;- l. f

In n testimenyzwhereoffwe: nliix Qin'y f Sig l RQBERT linnen-fj Dill? l? 

